


Canery Yellow

by Ali_Bell



Category: Torchwood
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Short One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-12
Updated: 2017-09-12
Packaged: 2018-12-26 19:20:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12065379
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ali_Bell/pseuds/Ali_Bell
Summary: “If you like yellow cars so much then why don’t you just paint the SUV canary yellow then?”A love letter to my personal Ianto Jones.





	Canery Yellow

All week Jack has been pointing out every yellow car he sees to the point where he makes me nearly drive off the road. It’s been annoying me to no end and finally I exploded. 

“If you like yellow cars so much then why don’t you just paint the SUV canary yellow then?” I shouted at him when we got back to the hub. Jack looked at me, taken aback and I could sense Gwen and the others were staring at me too. I know I’m not one for outbursts, but this just pushed me over the edge of reason. 

“Ianto,” Jack said carefully, as if I was a ticking time bomb at the verge of exploding. “I think you should take the next few days off. You look a little stressed.”  
I glared at him, “I’m only stressed because you keep doing that ‘yellow car’ thing whenever we go out! And I’m not stressed!” 

“Maybe he’s right, Ianto,” I heard Gwen say from behind me, “You are looking a bit tired. Maybe you should take the weekend and Monday off.” 

I looked around at everyone and saw them all nod in agreement. I ran a hand through my hair – which is very unusual for me – and stormed out of the hub. Realising that I still had the keys to the SUV, I threw them under the counter before leaving. 

I walked along the docks to the bus stop and slowly but surely made my way home. It was strange to go home and not be with Jack. We’ve been together for nearly a year now and all that time I’m usually with him after work to either talk or... well, not everyone needs to know all the uses for a stopwatch. 

When I got home, the place felt so empty. I didn’t bother turning on any lights since it was still daylight and shucked off my coat and threw it on the back on the chair. I went into my bedroom and proceeded to get out of the rest of my three piece suit and into a pair of sweat pants and went to watch the telly. I curled up on my side and felt rather lonely and small without Jack. 

I ended up falling asleep on the couch and I dreamt that Jack and I were on holiday and that we had just finished making love on a deck looking over the sea when I woke up. I felt completely and utterly alone and nearly cried. Looking at the clock I noticed that I had slept all night and decided to get up and do some food shopping and clean the apartment. It took all day but I did it. 

Since I didn’t know if I was only to stay out of the hub or I couldn’t do any of my job that I do on the weekends for Jack on the, I opted to do the unimaginable and park myself in front of the telly all weekend and Monday. And I must admit, come Tuesday I felt a lot better. 

*********

Walking into the hub on Tuesday I could feel that everyone must have brightened up by my absence as everyone seemed to be smiling for some reason whenever they looked at me. Jack called me into his office just as I finished making coffee for everyone and brought his in with me. 

“Ianto, I’m guessing you didn’t get the dry cleaning or stock up on what anyone needs this weekend, did you?” Jack asked me not two seconds after I put down his coffee. I made a mental note to make his next one decaf. 

I shook my head, “No sir. Since I didn’t know what my absence of leave meant I didn’t do anything.”

Jack nodded and took a sip of his coffee before turning back to his paper and saying, “Well, then you better do all those jobs today. Oh, and take the SUV. She’s been locked up all weekend and I think she could use the sunlight.”

I simply nodded and went to get the car. I drove all over town and to many different places that day. I had to stock up on food for both Janet and the pterodactyl Jack and I caught together on one of our first meetings. And as luck would have it, most shops were out of the things I needed for the hub so I had to go to what felt like every shop in Cardiff just to finish the shopping list. 

There was only one thing that bugged me; people kept staring at me. I originally thought it was because of the Torchwood logo on the side of the SUV – we are the best worst kept secret in England – but I’ve taken the van out before so that didn’t make any sense. 

“Oh, can you take the SUV home and give her a wash, Ianto?” Jack asked me when I finished putting the last of the shopping away, “She’s looking a little grubby and she needs some TLC. Thanks!” he ducked off before I could reply. 

On the drive home, I had to stop at many traffic lights and the people around me once again kept staring at me and I couldn’t figure out why. I looked in the mirror and found I had nothing on my face, so what was it?

I got home and changed into the sweat pants and singlet combo and grabbed stuff to wash the car with. I filled the bucket with water and began scrubbing. Jack was right about one thing, though; she was filthy. And the grime that was on the SUV just would not come off. So I went at it with a hose on full throttle until I put it down and took a proper look at the car. 

My cheeks started burning and I could now comprehend why everyone was staring at me. Why Owen and the others couldn’t stop smiling at me. Why Jack made me take the car home. 

He had painted the entire car yellow. 

Canary yellow.


End file.
